Various devices to detect the speed of moving objects, such as radar guns or laser speed detectors, are well-known. Such devices are used for a variety of purposes. A common use is by law enforcement agencies and personnel to monitor traffic and identify vehicles that are going faster than posted speed limits. It also has been increasingly common to capture images of said vehicles and use the images to enhance enforcement activities.
The design and operation of a speed detection system that uses a camera to capture still images may be found in Poland, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,195, entitled “Compact Speed Measurement System With Onsite Digital Image Capture, Processing, and Portable Display,” which is incorporated herein by specific reference. Poland describes a multi-component system comprising a laser speed detector mounted on a tripod or in a bracket of a vehicle next to a digital camera, which takes digital images of the vehicle at the same time the speed is detected. The digital data is stored on a separate, portable field processor (e.g., a palmtop computer or personal digital assistant). However, the device is not easily held or used by a single individual, does not take a video of the vehicle, and requires a number of separate components.
Accordingly, what is needed is a light-weight, hand-held device that can be used to simultaneously record and store a video of an object while measuring its speed, further including a timer mechanism.